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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, March 5, 2015 | 16 How `foul' February cured one writer's penchant for procrastination hile most everyone I know was busy cursing Old Man Winter throughout what was as frosty and foul a February as anyone could recall, I was busy having my most creative and productive month in memory. That is not to suggest I was anything other than cranky and fed up with winter as the snow fell, the temperatures plummeted to unearthly lows, my sinuses seized up, and the season's ceaseless grip upon my soul became downright vicious and vice-like. No, I'm just saying that in order to survive, I went into hibernation mode. W I hunkered down, put my nose to the grindstone (which, trust me, hurts like the dickens), and went on a writing rampage. Thousands and thousands of words on a novel I'm ever-so-slowly extracting from my skull. Suf ce to say, throughout February, I was focused, on re, and in the zone. I was also entrenched in a rather Spartan routine that consisted of drinking coffee, writing, and then -- to ward off cabin fever -- slapping on my cross-country skis and taking the dogs out back in the woods to romp for as long as we could withstand the That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor Hand Breaded in House daily CHICKEN PARMESAN KAISER A chicken breast marinated in our Signature Chalet Dipping Sauce, hand breaded in house with Parmesan cheese and herb breadcrumbs, topped with marinara sauce & Mozzarella cheese. Served on a toasted Kaiser with pesto mayo and your choice of side. 12.49 CHICKEN PARMESAN Limited Time Offer. While Supplies Last. Taxes Extra. Reg T.M. of Cara Operations Limited. ONT (Tier 2) - E 10/14 A chicken breast marinated in our Signature Chalet Dipping Sauce, hand breaded in house with Parmesan cheese and herb breadcrumbs, topped with marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese. Served over tomato Linguine and warm garlic toast. 14.99 1-866-439-0439 www.swisschalet.ca cold and keep Jack Frostbite at bay. Then it was back indoors for, well, more coffee and more writing. Alas, apparently, I wasn't alone in my prodigious production over the course of the cursed month. According to a story in The New York Times, "Scholars at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina have found that the worse the weather, the more people get done. "Though they may be in a fouler mood, at least they are not distracted by the lure of the outdoors." This, dear readers, is called an understatement. You know, writers have many enemies, but none worse than the one-two punch of distractions and procrastination. To get the upper hand on these devils, French novelist Victor Hugo is said to have written his famous works in the nude. According to legend, he'd enter his writing room, strip off his clothes and hand them to a waiting attendant, leaving old Vic with absolutely no options but to sit and write until his attendant returned with his clothing. Years ago, I interviewed late-great cartoonist Jim Unger on the balcony of his beautiful Bahamian home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. He talked of creative procrastination and of how he suffered dearly from what he called `Cup-In-Sink Syndrome', wherein he was unable to create until every little life diversion -- from having to brush his teeth to washing that lone cup left sitting in the sink -- had been taken care of. February offered precious little in the way of diversions and distractions. So, I simply lost myself in the ctional world I'm weaving. And while it all seemed somewhat punishing at the time, there's no denying that it was also pleasingly productive. It was a month of ef ciency and yield that I'll surely remember come summer when everything -- cycling, swimming, yard work, golf, holidays, etc. -- will distract and divert and I'll once again become the Prince of Procrastination. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www.facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. MARCH 19­22 B R AC E L E T T H E C H O I C E I S YO U R S ! W H E N YO U P U R C H A S E $ 1 2 5 O R M O R E O F PA N D O R A J E W E L L E RY PA N D O R A FREE *Purchase between $125­$3,300 of PANDORA jewellery and qualify to receive a free PANDORA bracelet that fits your unique style. At participating authorized PANDORA retailers only. Prices before taxes. While supplies last, limit one per customer. Jewellery selection may vary by store. Not valid on prior purchases. Charms sold separately. See inside for details. Experience at... MAPLEVIEW CENTRE Burlington Upper Level · Centre Court 905.632.5400 Some jewelry displayed patented (US Pat. No. 7,007,507) · © Pandora · PANDORA.NET